1. Technical Field
An aspect of the present invention relates to a multifunction peripheral device having a lighting unit, which can be switched on in advance for a reading operation performed by a reader unit.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a multifunction peripheral device having a plurality of functional units, such as a reader unit to read an image formed on an original document and a printing unit to form an image on a recording sheet, is known. The plurality of functions of the multifunction peripheral device can be achieved in several switchable operational modes, such as a facsimile mode, a copier mode, and a scanner mode. In such a multifunction peripheral device, the reader unit is configured to have a light source to emit light onto an original document so that the light reflected on the original document is received by CCDs (charge-coupled devices), which are aligned in lines in a main scanning direction, and converted into voltage values according to intensities of the reflected light. The voltage values are further converted into digital data, which thus represents the image on the original document. A fluorescent lamp such as a cold-cathode tube lamp, which emits lights in a wider range, may preferably be used for the light source in the reader unit.
When a device having the reader unit as described above is designed and used, reduction of electric power consumption is considered to be significant. Specifically, the light source of the reader unit can consume a large amount of electric power; therefore, a total amount of electric power consumption can be largely reduced if the light is switched off when the reader unit is not in use and switched on when the reader unit is operated to scan the original document.
In consideration of the electronic power consumption in the reader unit, for example, a copier in which power supply to the reader unit is cut off when the copier is not in use while power supply to the reader unit thereof is switched on when the original document being placed in a reading position is detected, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2006-217075.